


Unadulterated Happiness

by A_drop_in_the_ocean



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Promposal, Sappy, they're gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_drop_in_the_ocean/pseuds/A_drop_in_the_ocean
Summary: JJ never planned on going to prom, but that was before he started dating Pope.
Relationships: JJ/Pope (Outer Banks)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	Unadulterated Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my friend, whose birthday recently passed. Happy birthday love <3.

JJ was never big on school dances, or any other school related functions for that matter. Why would he buy a tux that he would only wear once, and go to school to listen to music and jump around in lieu of actual dancing. Not to mention the hassle of having to find someone to go with. He wasn’t the relationship sort of guy and taking someone to a dance always seemed too much like a date in his eyes.

But that was then, and this is now. Now he is in a stable committed relationship with someone he lo- feels very strongly for. Now he has someone that he wants to dress up with to go out and flaunt how mushy and happy they are. Now he has Pope. Pope makes him want to do all of the sickeningly sweet bullshit that he used to make fun of. He wants people to see that somehow, he managed to get the smartest, kindest boy in the OBX to care about him. He wants everyone to see that he is finally happy.

“JJ? Where’d you go babe”. JJ was laying across his boyfriend's lap, zoned out when he heard him ask the question. Pope had been telling him about a new study being conducted at one of the colleges he had applied to when he had gotten lost in his thoughts.

“Hmm? No where, I was just thinking”, JJ replied as they lapsed into a peaceful silence, the only sound being the TV and Pope’s parents moving around downstairs. Pope was absent-mindedly running his fingers through JJ’s hair and watching whatever show he had playing when JJ had come over. “Hey Pope? How do you feel about school dances”JJ asked, breaking the silence.

“Well uh, I’ve never been to one so I don’t really think I can accurately answer that question’, Pope sputtered out slightly confused.

“Well why have you never been to one?”JJ persisted, fishing for any information he could get on whether or not he should ask Pope to the quickly approaching prom.

“I’ve just never had anyone to go with, and I didn’t wanna be the loser who showed up alone. Plus you’ve never been to one either. Why do you ask?” Pope wondered, shifting his eyes from the television to the blonde laying across his lap.

“Just thinking about prom, it's only like, 2 months away. There's probably gonna be a lot of promposals at school in the next few weeks” JJ said in the most inconspicuous voice he could manage, trying not to give away the fact that he wants to do a promposal for Pope.

“I hate those over the top promposals, they’re so stupid. Spending all of that money just to ask someone to prom? It's such a waste. Why not spend that money to take the person you’re asking on a dinner date or something you know what I mean?” Pope said, moving his eyes back to the television.

“yea , totally” JJ said, trying not to feel discouraged, “So how would you feel about going to prom. With me since, we’re uh… dating y’know?”

“Why? Do you want to go to prom?” Pope deflected.

“I don’t know. Maybe? I mean if you want to go we can go, I’m just asking” JJ said while shifting into an upright position so that he could look Pope in the eye.

“I didn’t really think that school dances were your thing JJ, or any school functions really. Didn’t you say that homecoming is a load of bullshit made to trick people into showing school spirit?”

“I mean yea, I did say that, but this is prom. Maybe it’d be good to have some typical high school experiences before it's over”. JJ didn’t know why he was so stuck on this, it was just a school dance, but for some reason this was something he couldn’t let go of. Maybe deep down, he wanted to feel as normal as everyone else. For one night he just wanted to forget about his dad, forget all of the times people told him that he was stupid and that he wasn’t going anywhere in life, forget that he was probably gonna end up just like his father. For one night he just wants to listen to music, eat cheap snacks, and make a fool of himself with his boyfriend, the only person who believed in him.

“Well we still have two months until prom, how about we decide if we’re going once the day is a little bit closer?”

+++  
That was 1 month and 1 week ago. Prom is 3 weeks away, ticket sales end in 4 days, and JJ and Pope haven’t had a conversation about whether or not they’re going. JJ didn’t want to bring it up because he didn’t want to be annoying, but clearly waiting for Pope to bring it up wasn't a very good idea either. JJ doesn’t know if Pope is actively avoiding the conversation or if he genuinely forgot, but he’s hoping it’s the latter because in typical JJ fashion, he did something impulsive.

In the distance he could see Pope walking along the water's edge, coming towards him. The setting sun casting rays of golden light over his skin. JJ felt his heartbeat pick and his hair stood on end. He started fiddling with his bracelet in an effort to calm his nerves.

“Alright JJ, I let you drag me all the way out here despite it being my study hour. This better be good, I was just getting into different types of bacteria”.

“I promise this will be better than reading about bacteria, or at least I hope it’ll be”. JJ wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts and took a deep breath before continuing. “Okay so a few weeks ago we were talking about prom and I know you said you hate promposals, but”. JJ led him a little farther down the beach. “Okay close your eyes.”

“JJ-”

“Just do it. Please, for me?”

Pope huffed out a breath before letting his eyes slide shut. JJ grabbed his hand and led him behind a sand dune, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

Pope gasped when he saw what was laid out before him. Sandwiches, fruit, a cheese platter, an array of different pastries, and wine (Pope’s not sure how he scored that, but he wasn’t going to ruin the moment by asking) were all laid out on a picnic blanket. It was all tied together by candles, and with the sunset in the background it looked like something you’d find on Pinterest. Right beside the blanket was the word ‘PROM?’ spelled out in sea shells.

“JJ this is- this is…”, Pope managed to stutter out, still staring at the grand gesture before him.

“I know you said you don’t like promposals, but this one cost less than $20. I made the sandwiches at home, the fruit was leftovers from my job, the cheese platter is compliments of the Carerra’s, I was able to convince someone to buy the wine for us, and I found the sea shells laying around the beach. So… what do you think”

“I think that we’re going to prom”, Pope responded beaming at his boyfriend. 

“Oh thank god because I bought a tux a week ago and our tickets 2 days ago”. Pope laughed and JJ let all of the tension melt from his muscles now that he knew Pope wasn’t upset over the promposal. 

“I can’t believe you did all of this just for me. You didn’t have to, you know? You could have just asked and I would have said yes”

“I didn’t wanna take any chances. Plus you deserve nice things, you deserve your own cheesy high school romance and anything else you want”. JJ felt his cheeks warm while Pope stared at him without speaking. He began to squirm under Pope’s gaze the longer the silence went on.

Finally breaking the silence Pope said softly, “I love you”.

JJ froze. He’s pretty sure that he stopped breathing. They’d never said that to each other before. JJ’s pretty sure that he’s been in love with Pope since before they even began dating, but didn't think declaring his love after their first kiss was the best idea. To have Pope say it first… JJ doesn’t know what he ever did to deserve the kind of pure and unadulterated happiness that he was feeling right now, but he was going to revel in it while it lasts. 

“I love you too, Pope, god I am so in love with you. That cheesy kind of butterflies in your stomach love. The kind that makes you feel like you’re walking on air”. JJ didn’t plan on saying all of this, but now that he's started he wants to tell Pope all about the love he feels for him. He wants to say it a thousand times, in a thousand different ways until Pope understands exactly how he feels about him. “The kind of love that-”

Before JJ could finish Pope grabbed his face and silenced him with a kiss. “Who knew you were such a sappy romantic Maybank”, Pope said smirking as they pulled away.

“Shut up”, JJ smiled, going back in for another kiss and praying that he’d never lose this feeling.


End file.
